Hey, Republicans, You’ve Forgotten How To Fear Monger

The New York Times claimed that there was a conservative billionaire out there who believes he has discovered the master plan to help Mitt Romney defeat President Obama this November. Supposedly, Joe Ricketts (picture), the founder of the brokerage firm TD Ameritrade and Chicago Cubs owner, thought the secret to defeating Obama was by bringing up Rev. Jeremiah Wright. The strategy was introduced in a proposal entitled “The Defeat of Barack Hussein Obama: The Ricketts Plan to End His Spending for Good (pictured below).”

Mr. Ricketts is increasingly putting his fortune to work in conservative politics.

The $10 million plan, one of several being studied by Mr. Ricketts, includes preparations for how to respond to the charges of race-baiting it envisions if it highlights Mr. Obama’s former ties to Mr. Wright, who espouses what is known as “black liberation theology.”

The group suggested hiring as a spokesman an “extremely literate conservative African-American” who can argue that Mr. Obama misled the nation by presenting himself as what the proposal calls a “metrosexual, black Abe Lincoln.”

A copy of a detailed advertising plan was obtained by The New York Times through a person not connected to the proposal who was alarmed by its tone. It is titled “The Defeat of Barack Hussein Obama: The Ricketts Plan to End His Spending for Good.”

Afterward, ridicule followed with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) quipping: “Well, Ihope they’re as successful with this campaign as the Cubs are on the baseball field.” Burn, Nancy, burn!

Meanwhile, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio)told The Hill, “I don’t know what these other people do or why they do it. All I know is the American people vote with their wallets.” Romney himself said, “I repudiate the effort by that PAC to promote an ad strategy of the nature they’ve described.”

‘Twas a smart move given Team Romney knows that going after one’s church isn’t the wisest move for the first Mormon to earn a political party’s nomination for president to make.

When I first read this, I immediately thought about how the Rev. Wright controversy has been old news for a couple of years now — and then laughed. Like, “Obama is a militant Christian who hates America” is no longer the narrative among trendy xenophobes. They’ve progressed to “Obama is a socialist Muslim who wants Jesus and Santa Clause to get married.”

Someone must have alerted Ricketts to this reality since he’s now changing his tune.

“Mr. Ricketts intends to work hard to help elect a President this fall who shares his commitment to economic responsibility, but his efforts are and will continue to be focused entirely on questions of fiscal policy, not attacks that seek to divide us socially or culturally.”

If you believe that you also probably think that Ursula The Sea Witch was merely a misunderstood diva. This is more about their own embarrassment than any real display of a conscious. In fact, if we’re going by some of the other depictions of Obama – i.e. his “celebrity” – thus far, all of the attacks on the president seem like deja vu. This is one that just got immediately shamed for good reason.

Which is why despite growing concerns about the prospect of Obama being outspent thanks to these Super PACs, this story actually gives me a bit of hope. It just goes to show that as much as billions might be able to buy a person, brilliant political strategies don’t make for an easy sale. But you know, go ahead, keep reminding us that he’s a Black guy who is kind of a celebrity at a time when the culture celebrates such novelties. It just won’t do much in the way to scaring the masses into your often perverse point-of-view this time, though. Better luck next election?

Michael Arceneaux is a Houston-bred, Howard-educated writer and blogger. You can read more of his work on his site, The Cynical Ones. Follow him on Twitter: @youngsinick